The opposition NDP are calling for the provincial government to put a push on Ottawa to recognize indigenous people as the founders of Canada.

Amanda Lathlin, the NDP MLA for The Pas, said Thursday the federal government should use the country’s 150th anniversary as an opportunity to recognize indigenous people’s role in the founding of the country.

“It’s time to recognize Indigenous people as founders of Canada,” Lathlin said in a release. “Recognizing the role of Indigenous nations and people in the founding of Canada is a step towards building a meaningful nation-to-nation relationship and an important step toward reconciliation.”

Lathlin was to introduce a private member’s resolution calling on the Pallister government to lobby the feds, citing their presence on the land “thousands of years prior to Confederation” and their status as “self-determining nations with distinct cultures, languages, laws, traditions and unique understanding of the land and environment.”

“We urge the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to call on the federal government to give formal recognition of Indigenous nations as founding people of Canada,” Lathlin said, “and to protect and promote their languages, cultures, history, traditions and laws in ways similar to the government’s protection and promotion of the languages, cultures, history, traditions and laws of the British and French founding people.”

As Advertised in the Winnipeg SUN

Call to recognize Canada’s indigenous founders

The opposition NDP are calling for the provincial government to put a push on Ottawa to recognize indigenous people as the founders of Canada.

Amanda Lathlin, the NDP MLA for The Pas, said Thursday the federal government should use the country’s 150th anniversary as an opportunity to recognize indigenous people’s role in the founding of the country.

“It’s time to recognize Indigenous people as founders of Canada,” Lathlin said in a release. “Recognizing the role of Indigenous nations and people in the founding of Canada is a step towards building a meaningful nation-to-nation relationship and an important step toward reconciliation.”

Lathlin was to introduce a private member’s resolution calling on the Pallister government to lobby the feds, citing their presence on the land “thousands of years prior to Confederation” and their status as “self-determining nations with distinct cultures, languages, laws, traditions.